US657548A - Piston-packing. - Google Patents

Description

P E s L E K E S PISTON PACKING.

(Application filed Aug. 21, 1899.)

(No Model.)

In: mums versus 00. mrouma. WASNIIGTVIL a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIDNEY E. KELSEY,OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI;

PISTON-PACKING.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 657.548. dated September 1 1, 1900. Application filed August 21, 1399. Serial No. 727,942. Q 0 model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY E. KELSEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piston- Packing; and I do hereby declare that the following isafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

My invention has for its object the reduction in loss of power incident to steam-leakage in the cylinder of an engine and also a packing which will reduce the pressure be tween the wearing parts and the friction between the wearing surfaces, thereby reducing the loss of power incident thereto and combining with simplicity of construction.

self expansibility and contractibility; and to this end my invention consists of a strip of metal or other suitable material wound or folded upon itself and compressed into a compact and practically fluid tight mass having minute openings between contiguous surfaces when in extension and having within itself the power of expansion and contraction.

The invention further consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, such as will be first fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is aview in perspective of the novel packing applied toa piston of an engine, a portion of the end plate being broken away to show the core of the piston. Fig. 2 is a side view in detail of the packing. Fig. 3 is a perspective View in detail of a portion of the novel packing. Fig. 4 is a View of a portion of the spiral packing before compression. Fig. 5 is a View of an alternate form of the packing.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a piston for the cylinderof an engine.

a represents the ordinary bull ring or spider around which .the packing extends, the packing being shown in each recess of the bull-ring.

a a are the front and rear clamping-plates,

respectively, and a the extension of the bullring.

a is the piston-rod.

B represents the novel packing-ring, which is formed from a strip b ofsuit-able material, which is preferably drawn through a square or rectangular die, such material being used as possesses the requisite amount of elasticity, such as brass, the strip 1) being wound spirally to form a helix, (see Fig. 4,) the length of which helix is considerably in excess of the circumference of the bull-ring a. The helix thus prepared is then compressed in a suitable compressing-machine upon the top, bottom, and sides, so as to reduce the helix to a rectangular form, (see Fig. 3,) and also compressed longitudinally into a substantially fluid-tight mass, so as to reduce the space between the folds of the spirallywoundstrip to minute openings. In the compression of the helix from the form as seen in Fig. 4 to form the novel packing as seen in Figs. 2 and 3 the ends of each fold of the helix are upset or forcedinwardly, the enlargements of said ends being upset and filling the interstices of the folds, thus forming a practically fluid-tight joint and leaving the sides of the packing with an even surface. The packing is then given the properor slight extension, after which the packingis trimmed and is the proper length to extend around the ring a of the piston, the ends being brought together in contiguityb The width of the packing will then be nearly the same as the recessed portion of the bull-ring a, the plates at a being clamped upon the ends of the packing by the tightening of the nut a on the end of piston-rod a and the packing held in position. The packing is taken from the compress in an elliptical, square, or rectangular cross-section or other shape, as found desirable. Before placing the helix in the compress the end coils are Welded or pinched together. The compress employed is preferably such as to preserve the contour'of the packing in the arc of a circle during compression, the inner edges receiving a greater degree of compression than the outer edges of the packing.

Instead of winding the strip of which the packing B is composed into a spiral form or helix, as before described, I attain the result of my invention'inanother form, as seen in a r v a 65 63545 T Fig. 5,111 which the strip f, of which the packinner surfaceof the cylinder.

ing is made, is vinexcess of the width of the strip-b and of the same material. In this on struction the strip f is pleated orv folded back and forth upon'itself 'in. parallel planesand tions orjointsof the folds being upset, leaving an even surfacewith the interstices filled with the upset portions of the scalloped ends of the folds. The packing is then given the proper-set in extension'andis'also ground to accommodate it to the steam=fitting surface of the cylinder and is in readiness for use.

In theoperation of the piston within the cylinder or an engine the improved packing has a tendency to press outward, and therefore to be constantly in close contact with the V Thisresnlt is obvious from the elasticity of the packing,

I so that atwhatever place the cylinder becomes worn the packing exerts a pressure outwardly in the direction of such place, pre venting the loss-of steam, and consequently and thusa direct "savingin the amount of steam required tooperate the engine and in the cost of fuellto produce the steam.

It'will be evident that my novel packing depends forxits packing properties upon its elasticity'and upon the fact that many mi-' nute openings, whichin the aggregate are equivalent'to a il'argeopening, may be =prac- 1 tijcallyrflu'id-tight, while the large opening will permit the freepassageof a fluid, and,

' fu ther, upon thefa'ct that these minute opent rings :must of necessity become'filled with the 0 e c faces, in combinationwith such extraneous substances as oil,- water, or fluid of any kind particles of matter, from. the frictional surwith which the packing may come into contact. hWhen the packing is placed in the cylinder, it is under compression, and the joints are closed. Any slight expansion of the packing will produce minute-openings between the contiguous surfaces of the packing,which will be covered with a film of fluid-as soon as theopenings-are increased enough to ad-' mit it. It will therefore "be seen that the packing mayexpand,vincident to thewear,

- and still remain practically fluid-tight. I Having fully described my invention,-what I now claim-as new, and desire to secure by 'Letters'Patent, is?- I v 1. An annular packing composed of a strip of suitable material folded upon itself, form'- ing selfv extensible and contractible, parts;

compressed together in a substantially fluidtightmass, and with the outer sides of the folded parts of the packing upset to fill, the

interstices, the ends of said packing beingin contiguity. I

2. A metallic ipacking ring, comprising a coiled-strip having its end coils connected together,' and the contacting surfaces of the parts of the coils compressed into a substantially fluid-tight mass. obtaining a greater steam-pressu re efficiency;

3. A metallic packing-ring; comprising a helically-wound strip with itsends joined together', and the contiguous parts of the coils compressed "into substantially fluid -tight joints, and s'aidjointsupset to fillthe interstice's.

4. A metallic packing-ring composed of a suitable helically-wound spring, the end coils of which springare joined together and the contiguous parts of the coils compressed into substantially fluid-tight joints, and enlarged at their'ends to fill'the interstices.

i SIDNEY KELSEY.

Witnesses'n O. R. MCGEE, e,

. IDA M. RUssELL.

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